The Marriage Gamble

her small kitchen counter, hands gripping a glass of water, staring blankly at the skyline beyond the glass. Her min

ck. I'll take everything your gran

ay out of this, not without losing everything she had fought so hard to protect. And yet, the idea of marrying Nathanie

her path-not her father, not her estranged family, and certainly not her dead grandfa

er throat as she stared at the door, half-expecting Nathaniel to be standing

lous. He wouldn't c

hole. A wave of relief swept over her when she saw the familiar face

oor and opened it, stepping

tepping into the apartment and shr

ind her and gave a weary

to the couch and sank down into it, patting th

rested her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples, trying to massage awa

rt," Lena admitted, her voice t

situation is insane. I mean, I've seen some crazy legal stipulations in my career, b

to the world of Edward Drake. He never

n, sure, your grandfather wanted to protect his legacy, but why Nathaniel Jam

lay-like he's testing me. He always said I wasn't cut out for the 'family business,' that I didn't have wha

ybe it's a trap. Maybe he wa

ever been one to show affection or support. His expectations had always been high, and his disappo

oftly, "he's gone now. An

expression softening. "So

lose my freedom. I'll be tied to him for a year, pretending that everything is fine while we play house for the sake of the

n boiling up inside her. "And I can't

o do this alone, you know. We can figure something out. Maybe there's a legal

randfather's stipulations are airtight. Believe me, I've a

had been hanging over Lena's head since the will reading: she was out of

u thinking?" Mi

y at the wall across from her. "I'm thinking

You mean...you're goin

tongue, like she was speaking someone else's reality. "It's not li

"Lena, you shouldn't have to just 's

out what I deserve. It's about what I have to do to protect what's mine. My grandfa

g had burrowed into her. Maybe it was her grandfather's manipulative game, but it had worked. The idea

do this, you'll need to be careful. Nathaniel is ruthless. He'll have hi

Trust me, I won't. This is

ook entirely convinced.

haniel tomorrow. We need to lay everything out-set boundaries, terms

member who you are, Lena. You're not Edward Drake. You're not Nathaniel Jameson. Y

s seeping through the cold knot in her

from the back of the couch. "Anyt

"One last thing: Are you sure you can handle being that close to him?

htly. "I know. But I ca

ith concern. "Just be careful,

r her. Tomorrow, she would confront Nathaniel. Tomorrow, they would hammer out the details

ping sense of dread. No matter how much she tri

ameson would be a part of her

her more than she w